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Illinois Hospitals Call For Junk Food Tax

The head of the Illinois Hospital Association says Gov. Pat Quinn's proposal to cut $2 billion from the Medicaid program is a blunt approach that would hurt the Illinois economy and cost 19,000 jobs.

Hospital Association President Maryjane Wurth says her group has other suggestions. The hospital group would support higher cigarette taxes and taxing junk food and soda to help Medicaid.

Wurth says the hospital association will fight "vigorously" any cuts to Medicaid payments to hospitals. Such payment cuts could result in the closure of struggling hospitals, leaving Illinois with more "health care deserts," such as in East St. Louis, which already lost its only hospital.

The Illinois Hospital Association represents 200 Illinois hospitals. Worth has been its president and CEO since October 2009.

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